1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a portable timing device, and more particularly to a timing device for measuring the quickness of a person by accurately measuring the time it takes for a person to move from a start position over a predetermined, relatively short distance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For persons involved in training athletes, there is a need to measure and improve a person's quickness, or the person's ability to move rapidly from a start position over a predetermined relatively short distance from the start position. One person may have a capability of moving very rapidly from a zero speed, start position over a relatively short distance, while another person may be slow to start but when started and having picked up speed, that person can reach and maintain a high speed for long periods of time. The quickness of the two persons may be entirely different.
When a timing device is being used to measure how fast a person can move from standstill over a short distance, the timing device must start at the moment the person leaves the start position and must stop at the moment the person completes the predetermined distance from the start position which is being used as a standard course for measuring quickness. The timing device must also be capable of providing accurate indications of time for very brief time periods, therefore, a timer capable of indicating minutes, seconds and fractions of a second, such as thousands of one second, is preferred for use as a quickness measuring device.
The common stopwatch which requires a timekeeper to push a start/stop button when a person leaves a start position and when the person finishes the course laid out, is unreliable for measuring quickness because it depends upon the response time of the timekeeper who may not push the start/stop button at the precise instant when the person starts and completes the course. It is, therefore, preferable for the quickness device to be controlled by the movements of the person whose quickness is being measured.
Highly accurate electronic devices having optical or light sensors for sensing a person's position at the start and finish lines of a course are available but most of the prior art devices are relatively complex and expensive, and often require fixed installations which make them unsuitable or unavailable for use by many athletic trainers.
An early attempt to eliminate the function of a timekeeper and to have a runner initiate and stop the function of an electric timer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,948,851, issued Aug. 9, 1960 to G. J. Dekan. The present invention distinguishes from and is considerably less complex than the apparatus disclosed by Dekan.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a reliable, relatively inexpensive and portable timing device which is available and suitable for use by most athletic trainers, or individuals for measuring a person's quickness in order to provide an index by which the quickness of athletes and other persons may be compared.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a timing device which is started and stopped by the movements of the person whose quickness is being measured rather than by the actions of a timekeeper.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a portable, pocket size, battery operated electric timing device that coaches, athletic trainers and others can carry out on the field and which can be triggered on and off by the action of an athlete undergoing testing.